Welcome
We are excited to offer this Return To School (RTS) Toolkit as you embark on what could quite possibly be the most transformative moment in our recent educational history. We are faced with an epic challenge--to change our systems and practices (already fraught with inequities)-- in response to this pandemic’s upheaval. Without a doubt, we are in system-crisis, and yet, within this crisis is an opportunity. We offer our hope, our partnership, and this specific Toolkit to you in solidarity, so that together we can navigate this pandemic by centering the needs and assets of English Learners.
We know the thought and care you are putting into the start of this school year, and we are so very glad to support your site with purposeful, rich and meaningful units, resources, and guides. We have worked with urgency, yet taken great care and thought to provide you with timely, useful, and relevant materials. Please look at our seminal piece, The Critical Conditions for English Learners in Distance Learning, which has been the foundation of the RTS Toolkit. We think that you will find it useful in providing affirming, effective, and inclusive educational spaces for ELs in distance learning.
It’s important to highlight that these Toolkits and instructional units are based on the Teaching Tolerance Standards, the History/Social Science Standards & Frameworks, the ELA/ELD standards and Frameworks, the Health & Education Standards, as well as the ISTE (Tech) Standards. In addition, this work is framed around our Mission: To prepare all English Learners in California to learn, thrive and lead, as well as our Black Lives Matter Pledge which we adopted earlier this summer. We invite you to step into this exciting space as we all work together to challenge and disrupt the systems of inequity and injustice that have diminished this incredible world we live in.
What is Included
The RTS Toolkit (link at top of page) is organized in three major categories:
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Family Partnerships
Return to School Units
In SEL and Family Partnerships, you will find resources, readings, student activities, and staff activities designed to meet the needs of your students, their families, and your staff as we return to school during these unprecedented circumstances. The Units contain the heart and soul of our Toolkit and are meant to launch the new year with compassion, thoughtfulness, and a focus on our collective community.
Our organization of the Toolkit by theme instead of role (i.e., Coach, Administrator, Teacher) is purposeful, and we hope that all will explore and find useful each area. As usual, our units are English Learner centered through the integration of language development in and through all learning activities and content.
Teachers: Check This Out
Find the How To Videos in each grade level unit folder; TK-1st grade, 2nd-3rd grade; 4th-6th grade to understand how we conceptualized and planned the units.
Also be sure to look for the Thematic Library in Teacher Resources.
Last but not least, we hope you utilize the Family Interviews During Distance Learning, found in the Family Partnerships folder.
As a reminder, we always want your feedback and these units are no exception. Look down the road for requests for your feedback.
Admin/Coaches: Check This Out
The Print List is the full set of paper items for the RTS Units that should be printed and mailed or delivered to students.
The SEL Staff Meeting is a fully prepped, ready-to-go staff meeting session on SEL for you to lead.
Please consider that your teachers will most likely need sufficient time to review the material and prepare the Return to School Units. We recommend that at least one day be dedicated as a Unit Development Day so that teachers, coaches, and principals are well-informed about what teachers are being invited to teach for the first month of school.
